Rattrap



Feb. 13, 1951 E. F. ANDREWS Filed July 51, 1944 RATTRAP Snventor (Ittorneg Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RATTRAP Edward F. Andrews, Youngstown, Ohio This invention relates to a trap and more particularly toatrap designecl'forr trapping rats. The principal object of the invention is the provision of a rat. trap. provided with double doors simultaneously operated. from a single trigger member. a A further. object ofv the invention is the provision" of a rat trap-formed to DI'OVidBxfi reasonable degree of cover to induce a rat tov enter the same.

A still further object of the-invention is the provision of a triggerfor a rat trap whereby a slight motion of the same'serves to cause the trap to close.

A still further object of. the invention is the provision ofakilling attachment used in coinbination with the primary trap structure for the removal and disposal of rats trapped therein.

Thetrat trap shown and described. herein constitutes an improvement over that shown and described in. my co-pending application for Patent Serial No. 514,580 filed December 15, 1943, now Patent No. 2,374,522 and has been designed to form an. efficient yet simple trap structure which may be successfully used in trapping rats which have become familiar with various other forms of traps and thereby cautious and exceed.- ingly difficult to entrap.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the rat trap and the disposal portion.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the rat trap shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view with parts broken away illustrating the trigger member of the trap shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of th uppermost portion of the trigger member illustrated in Figure'3.

Figure 5 is a cross'section on an enlarged scale of a portion of the device illustrated in Figures :1 and 2 and taken on li-ne5-5'of Figure 2. Fig-urefi' isa top plan viewof a portion of the Application slayer, 1944, Serial No. 547,425

1 Claim. (era's-61) Q device-illustrated.- in Figure 5 with part in section.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it will be seen that a rat trap has been disclosed wherein a boxlike body memberv I0 forms the primary trapping structure and is itself ,formed with a base II preferably wooden, an unbroken low side wall I2 and full side walls and a top I3 formed of wiremesh. It will ib'e observed that the base H and the low sidewall I2, being unbroken, provide a fair degree of shelter or cover along one side of the trap structure which is otherwise largely formed of the screen wire mesh. The ends of the box like; trap I0 are normally open and are adapted to be simultaneously closed by a pair of doors I4 and I4A, respectively, which are positioned for vertical travel by means of'duplicate pairs of vertically positioned guides I5 and I5A, each of which forms in efiect a frame immediately ad jacent the normally open ends of the box-like trap I0 and which provide guide means for the doors I4 and 14A which are slidably positioned therein. It will be observed that the guides I5 and ISA extend above the wire mesh top I3' of the box-like trap Ill a distance equal to the height of the box-like trap I0 itself to permit itself be held in elevated position; averticallypositioned, rotatably mounted trigger member" I1- is located in the center section of the trap. I0 and extends upwardly through the wire meshtop: I3 thereof and is provided near its uppermost end with a cut away and tapered section as best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. By referring thereto it will be seen that the supporting bar I6 is normally positioned on ashoulder' or apex I8 of the tapered part of the cut away portion of the trigger member I! and that at such time as the trigger member IT is partially rotated the uncut half section of the trigger member I! will move the support bar I6 sidewardly and away from its support on th shoulder or apex I8 of the tapered portion of the trigger member I I. When this occurs the support bar II will fall by gravity and the doorsl4 and MA which have been supported on the opposite ends of the support bar I6 will likewise fall thereby closing the trap. In order that such rotating motion can be imparted to the trigger member by a rat, a transversely positioned bait rod 20 is formed on the trigger member |'I near the lower end thereof and this rod 20 is provided with tapered points 2| upon which suitable bait may be positioned. It will thus be seen that a rat attempting to take the bait will move the rod 20 and hence rotate the vertically positioned trigger member I7 and thereby cause the release of the support bar I6 and the closing of the trap doors I4 and MA. The bottom of the trigger member l! is preferably mounted on the base ll of the trap by means of' a bracket 22 having a centrally positioned opening 23 thereon through which the vertically positioned trigger member I! is positioned. The bracket 22 is aflixed to the base l by any suitable means.

'By referring again to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that each' of the guides i5 and 15A comprises a pair of vertically positioned guide members afiixed to the base I! at their lowermost ends and spaced by a spacer rod as at their uppermost ends. Each of the guide structures includes a centrally located vertically positioned secondary guide 25, which is above the wire mesh top l3 of the trap, being positioned vertically on the body member l and which serves as a guide for each of the protruding ends of the support barv l6 which is positioned therebetween, thus preventing sideward travel of the doors it and MA so as" to insure their retention between the guides 15 and |A, respectively. guides 25 also forms a part of a locking means which serves to lock the doors I 3 and MA in closed position on the trap Hi. The locking mean consists of a pair of clips 26 each of which is providedwith a downwardly turned flange 2t and a slot-like opening 28 which enables it to,

be positioned on the guide 25 as illustrated in Figure 2. In Figure 5 a side elevation of one of the clips 26 may be seen in latched position and it will be observed that the edge of the material of the clip 26 defining the slot 28 therein nearest the depending flange 2i is bent downwardly as at A while the opposite edge of the material is bent upwardly as at B. The clips 26 are adapted to rest upon the top of one of the doors It or MA, a portion of one of which is shown in Figure 5 and the downwardly and upwardly formed edges A and B of the slot 28 cause the clip 26 to latch upon the vertically positioned guide 25whichis positioned through the slot 28 whenany attempt ismade to raise the door. The edge of the downwardly depending flange 2? of each of the clips -26 is adapted to rest upon the upper surfaceof the bar It adjacent its ends so that when the bar '16 is moved upwardly for lifting the doors I4 and MA it will tilt the clips 26 by lifting the flanged edge of the clips 26 upwardly so as to release the latching action of the downwardly and upwardly formed edges A and'B of the clips 26 with respect to the guides 25. This action holds .the clips 26 in approximatelyhorizontal position and ;-thereby permitthem to slide up the guide members 25. Further upward movement of the bar [6 will move the doors M; and MA with their respective clips upwardly as a unit. It will thus be seen that once the trigger member I? is-moved by a rat taking bait on one of the points 2| of the bait rod 29, the support bar I6 is caused to drop thereby releasing the doors M and |4A which close. g-The clips 2B slide down the guides .25 and Each of. the

. vertically positioned guides IE or I5A. A sacklike member 3| is attached to the frame 29 and is provided with a drawstring or rope 32. When attached by means of the clamps 30 to the trap If] the adjacent door I or |4A of the trap is raised and the trapped rat is permitted to enter the sack-like member 3|. It has been determined that a rat seeking cover and seeking to escape from the trap itself invariably runs into the far end of the sack 3|. It is then a simple matter to pull the drawstring or rope 32 tight and dispose of the rat in the sack 3| by clubbing, drowning or by any other means.

As set forth in the objects of this invention, this means of disposing of the trapped rats enables the trap itself to remain uncontaminated and thus free of any'odors or other indications of its purpose which, it has beenvdetermined, would warn away other rats. The invention. therefore, contemplates the combination of the trap and the disposal means, as, when used in combination, they enable the continued satisfactory employment of the trap whereas otherwise its purpose is soon marked and made apparent to rats which would subsequently avoid the trap and thereby defeat its purpose. It has been determined that when the trap and the disposal member are used in combination as hereinbefore set forth the trap may be used continuously successfully.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: M

In a rat trap including a cage-like housing having an opening at each end thereof, guide structures positioned at each of the said open-' ings and a door positioned in each of the said guide structures and capable of vertical travel therein, trigger means forholding the said doors in elevated position in the said guide structures and-means for each door for locking the said doors in lowered position in the said guide structures, each of said locking means comprising a slotted clip slidably engaging a portion of the said guide structure and resting on the door-in the said guide structure.

EDWARD F. ANDREWS- REFERENCES CITED :The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

